She grew up in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

Lisa is the author of eleven books, including The Family Tree Polish, Czech and Slovak Genealogy Guide, and the award-winning Three Slovak Women, and hundreds of magazine articles. Lisa is a contributing editor for Family Tree Magazine, a regular columnist for Reunions Magazine, and works as an online educator and writing coach through her websites Research, Write, Connect at https://www.researchwriteconnect.com and Alzo Creative Writing.

She also developed the Eastern European Research Certificate Program for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Lisa is a frequently invited speaker for national conferences, genealogical and historical societies, and webinars. An avid genealogist for more than 30 years, Lisa also chronicles her family history adventures on her blog, The Accidental Genealogist, https://www.theaccidentalgenealogist.com. Visit https://www.lisaalzo.com for more information.